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New Delhi, June 19 (PTI): Neither is anyone inside India's territory nor has any of its posts been captured, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Friday as he berated China for the killing of 20 Indian Army personnel in Ladakh saying its action has left the entire country hurt and angry.
At an all-party meeting convened to discuss the situation in India-China border areas, the prime minister underscored that India wants peace and friendship, but upholding sovereignty is foremost.
In his closing remarks at the virtual meet on the face-off between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, Modi said Indian forces are doing what they have to do to protect the country, whether it is in terms of deployment, action or counter-action.
"Our patrolling capacity has increased due to newly built infrastructure, especially along LAC," he said.
The meeting was convened after 20 Indian Army personnel were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in Ladakh on Monday.
He said that today, Indian forces are capable of moving together across sectors.
The army has been given freedom to take necessary steps and India has also conveyed its position clearly to China through diplomatic means.
Modi underscored that India wants peace and friendship, but upholding sovereignty is foremost.
He highlighted that the government has given primacy to development of border area infrastructure to make India's borders more secure. Provision has also been made for fighter planes, modern helicopters, missile defence systems and other such needs of the forces.
Through the recently developed infrastructure, patrolling capacity at LAC has also increased, he said, adding that through this, "we are better informed about the developments at LAC and consequently are able to monitor and respond better".
The movement of those which used to take place without any disruption earlier is now checked by our jawans, which at times leads to build up of tension.
He noted that through better infrastructure, supply of material and essentials to jawans in the difficult terrain has become comparatively easier.
Modi emphasised the commitment of the government to the welfare of the nation and its citizens and said that be it in trade, connectivity or counter-terrorism, the government has always "stood up to outside pressure."
He assured that all steps necessary for national security and construction of necessary infrastructure, will continue to be taken at a fast pace, according to an official statement.
He reassured the leaders about the capability of the armed forces to defend the borders and that they have been given a free hand to take all necessary steps.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the nation will never forget the sacrifice of the army personnel.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gave an overview of agreements between India and China on border management, informed about the directions given by the Prime Minister in 2014 to give highest priority to development of infrastructure in border areas in the regions identified and approved by the Cabinet in 1999, and also shared details of recent developments.
Just before the meeting began, the participants stood in silence as a mark of respect for the fallen soldiers.
Referring to the slain army men, Modi said the 20 brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice in Ladakh "but also taught a lesson to those who dared to look towards our motherland".
The statement also have details of what the various leaders said at the meet.
It said the leaders hailed the bravery displayed by the armed forces in Ladakh.
They reposed faith in the leadership of the Prime Minister in this hour of need and expressed commitment to stand united with the government.
Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee said that her party stands strongly in solidarity with the government.
JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar said that there should be no difference amongst the leaders, and the parties should not allow any disunity which can be exploited by other nations.
LJP's Chirag Paswan said that the country feels safe under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray lauded the Prime Minister and said that the entire country is one and with the Prime Minister.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi said that the leaders are still in the dark about the details and questioned the government about intelligence reports and other related matters.
NCP's Sharad Pawar stressed that issues of whether soldiers carried arms or not are decided by international agreements and the parties need to respect sensitivities involved in such matters.
NPP's Conrad Sangma said that the Prime Minister has been working on infrastructure in the Northeast and that must go on.
BSP leader Mayawati said that this is not the time for politics and she firmly stands with the Prime Minister on whatever decisions he takes.
DMK's MK Stalin welcomed the recent statement by the Prime Minister on the issue, it said.